Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-20
MsrlrE.meusE pLANrs.
Mrs. Cleveland streIssng Among she
Additions 10 sbe Conservatory.

phia Times says Among the favorite
psstimes Of the young wife OF the Presi-
dent during her hours Of leisure from
the demands of her social duties is
visit 10 the Conservatives OF the Exc
cutive Mansion, sometimes alone and
again with some calling lady friends, to
enjoy the selected beauties OF the plant
life of the luxurious and more genial
chimes of the warmer zones. Since
their internal reconstruction and reno
walton last summer the conseryatories,
under the intelligent care OF the
experimenting florist, are among
the most attractive features Of the
Executive Mansion. The main con-
servatory, which is entered from the
promenade corridor and the state
dining-room, is one hundred and sixty
five feet long and forty eight feet wide,
with sides and lofty double.pitch roof
Of glass. At the further end is wing
sixty feet long by thirty-two feet wide.
A promenade four feet wide and nearly
five hundred feet in length, paved with
artificial stone, extends around the con-
servatories between the slate benches,
upon which rests in pots the rarest
plants, representing almost every va
riety of size, form, and color of foliage
and flower, and affords the convenience
OF a delightful and pleasing stroll
among the charming fora OF the lati
tudes nearer the Equator.
The arrangement of the plants is
with reference to variety of foliage and
colors. As the towering plants are
Just coming into bloom the effect is
very fine, being suggestive OF the volup-
tuous vegetation of the tropics. The
ladies of the Executive household find
their visits particularly. interesting at
this time. The collection is almost ex-
clusively for decorative purposes. 1t
| embraces palms, crotOns, dracenas, en-
| thuriums, azalias, carnations, lilies, ca
melias, roses, and long list of the other
multitudinous varieties of plants, attract
tive on account of their foliage or valu-
able for cut-howers. The plants number
about $4,000. In the collection are
many varieties of value for their his
toric association or rarity. The finest
specimen of the cyca revoluta or sage
| palm. the largest in the United States,
was brought from the West Indies on
one of the clippers of wealthy Balti-
more ship-owner and presented to Gen
eral Washington, who placed it in his
conservatory at Mount Vernon. After
his death 1t passed into other hands,
and when sold, about thirty years ago,
was purchased for the Executive Man
sion. There are also fine specimens Of
the birds-nest fern of Australia, one
hundred varieties of the amaryllls,
many now in bloom, several of the
antherium grande and the beautiful
phoinccophorum, or seekelleranum, a
variety of palm.
The latest novelty is the enthurium
ventricolum, new plant reared from o
seed found secreted among the roots of
an orchid brought from Brazil The
seed developed into large plant with
slender pointed leaves three feet long.
The flower is large and of q creamy
white hue, spotted and tinted with ma
room inside, and is as fragrant as the
magnolia grandihora. 1t buds at the
base of each one of the many leaves,
which form a sort of crown. There is
also cyca from the Sandwich Islands
sent as a present by Mrs. Comfy when
her husband was Minister resident at the
court of that insular kingdom in the
solitude of the Pacific. The acacia bu-
bexence in bloom is also very beauti-
full. During the drawing-rooms OF
Mrs. Cleveland and the levees of the
President the conservatories are thrown
open to the visiting public and are great
" enjoyed blythe ladies. The most IN
teresting features of the collection are
the orchids or air plants. Their deli
cate flowers and tints usually call forth
rapturous admiration. The collection
of orchids is not the largest nor the
finest, that rank being held by the col
lection of Mr.. Corning, of Albany, the
value of which is put down at 500, 600
A greenhouse has been devoted to the
propagation and culture of these rare
and curious representatives OF the
plant kingdom. Every season, there
fore, finds new acquisitions to the
White House possessions in that branch,
and which some day viii take leading
place.
The florist of the Executive Mansion,
who has brought the Conservatives up
to their present thrifty condition., Is
Henry Pfister, a Swiss, who learned his
art among flowers and plants under
Heusserman, the superintendent OF the
Conservatives and gardens OF Rechberg,
belonging to the palace of the opulent
Banker Schulteness of Zurich. lie
followed his art in Germany, France,
and England, and came to the
United States in 1872 and be-
came florist on the estate belong
ing to Jay Cooke at Walnut Hill, in the
suburbs of Cincinnati. His skill having
attracted attention, he was placed III
charge of the Conservatives of the Ex-
ecutive Mansion in 1877, and since that
time has made great improvements IN
the buildings. collection of plants, and
their arrangement Out of the annual
appropriation of $4,000 The conserva-
tories have become source OF just
pride to the occupants OF the Executive
Mansion and the visiting pubic or So
cial occasions.
The superb floral displays at the
state dinners and levees are the growth
of the conseryatories, fashioned into
decorative arrangement and forms 10y
the florist in charge, The tables al
state dinners during the present season
have been masterpieces III floral deco
rative art, and have elected the highest
encomiums from those honored as
guests on these high state occasions o.
official dining.
During the hotter months of the
summer the large plants are taken from
the Conservatives and placed on the
lawns around the mansion, producing
an effect suggestive of the luxurian'
growth and scenic beauty OF nature IL
The equatorial belt around the earth.
xsxember Marriages Ina Holland
| n..a